Enhancing readiness for weather extremes

Rainfall in vehement force is turning into a seasonal affair in the summer monsoon period. The heavy downpour is expected to last for another week. The torrent has been exceptionally concentrated in certain locations. On Eocheong Island near Gunsan, rain amounted to 146 millimeters (5.7 inches) per hour, a historical record for the area last week. In Paju city and Ganghwa Island, Gyeonggi, earlier this week, the downpour came in at over 100 millimeters per day.

Such precipitation levels can arrive once in every two centuries. But records are being beaten in recent years, causing grave concerns. Most infrastructure is designed to withstand the weather extremes that can come once in a century. Precipitation beyond our imagination can cause unexpected outcomes. In 2022, 141 millimeters of rain fell in an hour, causing underground residential units in Sindorim-dong to be inundated with water that drowned residents to death. The stream dams near the Osong underpass, which overflowed causing several driver deaths, were built 1 meter (3.3 feet) higher than the level last year, but the dams were also flooded this time.

The flood response must be redesigned to deal with frequent heavy rainfall. Infrastructure should be addressed, with drainage systems that better respond to short torrents of heavy rain. Embankments must be heightened, along with reinforcements in urban drainage systems. If the repairs cannot take place at the same time, the vulnerable locations must be fixed first through regular checkups. Alarm systems must be strengthened to minimize casualties.

But the Environment Ministry and local governments responsible for water control are still carefree. The ministry announced it will build 10 more dams last year after two consecutive years of flood disasters, but it is yet to decide on the locations. The responsibility over stream management in local areas is also unclear. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has not been able to set a guideline on traffic control in the case of flooding despite the Osong tragedy, according to the findings of the Board of Audit Inspection. With such slack management, who could feel safe at home or move about in heavy rain?

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports, the chance of an extreme rainfall rises 7 percent from a rise of 1 degree Celsius in temperature. The Earth is already 1.4 degrees Celsius hotter than the preindustrial period. Extreme rainfalls — precipitation of more than 50 millimeters per hour or more than 90 millimeters per three hours — increased 85 percent over the last 25 years compared to the prior quarter of a century period. The frequency and intensity will only amplify in the future. The state is neglecting its duty to protect lives if it does not enhance the readiness for weather extremes.